Chapter 37
A Bride and Her Maid of Honor
Without the Cylons becoming aware of it, the number of pilots being trained was increased during the fourth year of Cylon occupation. The increase was due to a larger than usual number of applications from young people who had spent time in one of the three refugee camps and was handled by several new instructors at the Academy, one of whom was a decorated Viper pilot from the First Cylon War.
-Bartell, History of the Second Cylon War
.
On the trip from Sovana to Caprica City, Kara watched their Cylon Raider escort off the starboard side of the ship. "I can't believe it," she told her father. "One of these shadows every flight. One flew with me and Lee up here last week."
"I know. Even though this is a medical ship, it's military. They fly with every military ship no matter where it goes, and they accompany every commercial flight that goes above the Kármán line. Do you know what the Kármán line is?"
"An imaginary line a hundred kilometers up. It's were the atmosphere ends and space begins. Lee told me."
Her father grinned at her. "When did you and Lee find time to talk about flying?"
"Despite what you think, we didn't spend all our time in bed."
"Is Lee the one who has you so fired up about going to the Academy this year?"
"No, that's my idea. Karl is going…if he passes the test."
"Does Karl know about your other career?"
"He knows, but he's not part of it."
"Is it going to cause your roommates a problem when you move out and in with me?"
"I told you I'm not living with them anymore. Besides, Laura said you're going to her place."
Kara had thought Laura was napping, but apparently she wasn't. "He is going to my place," she said. "He can't climb those outside steps to his apartment, yet. I'm going to take some time off and make sure he's all right on his own before I go back to work."
"I need to go see my boss when I get back to the city. I told him I'd come see him and let him know what's going on. I'll probably go back to Tory's place and spend the night. I know you two want to be alone."
John didn't say anything for a moment and then he laughed and said, "This karmic justice thing is hell."
Laura said, "Kara, you are welcome to stay with us tonight. In fact I'd like for you to move in with us. I want us to be a family. I've thought about everything and if John agrees we'll have a small, private wedding at a little temple near the Capitol and afterward we'll have a nice reception and invite all of our friends to celebrate with us."
"Laura, whatever you want to do is all right with me. You just tell me what I need to do."
"Get well. That's your only current assignment."
"I can handle that." John slowly moved his right arm. His eyes met Kara's. "It's a good thing I'm left-handed, isn't it?"
...
Late that afternoon they arrived in Caprica City. Laura's Marine guards met them at the airbase and escorted them to Laura's apartment. Being up most of the day had tired her father much more than he wanted to let them see, but Laura knew. She told Kara to make herself at home while she helped John to the bedroom. Kara wandered around the apartment. It was large and beautifully decorated. She thought of the place she had lived with Karl and Maggie and Jared. Laura would probably laugh. Even Tory's nice apartment wasn't much compared to Laura's place. It looked like something out of a decorating magazine.
She found the liquor cabinet, took down a bottle of ambrosia and poured a drink that she carried out to the terrace.
When Laura finally came out of the bedroom fifteen minutes later, she joined Kara.
"I helped myself," Kara said. "My dad would take this away from me. Are you going to?"
"No. But I trust you to do the right thing and stop with that one small drink."
"You want me to get you one?"
Laura smiled. "I'd love to join you, but I can't because of the baby."
Kara said. "So pregnant women aren't supposed to drink?"
"It's not recommended."
"Remind me to never get pregnant. Of course with my dad watching me every second that's never going to happen anyway. Is he okay?"
"He's already asleep. He was trying to be tough, but today really tired him. I got him to take one of his pain pills. Tonight he needs to rest."
"Good. I'll be able to leave and go see Jack without answering a hundred questions."
"Kara, I think John will gradually realize how mature and responsible you are. I'm going to talk to him, but I don't want him to think I'm interfering in his role as your father. One thing I'm absolutely certain of is that he loves you."
"I know he does. If he didn't, he wouldn't give me such a hard time. He's just got to realize I'm not a little kid anymore."
"You're still not old enough to drink...legally."
"The reason I'm doing this is because I've got to go see my boss and tell him that I'm sixteen years old. He's going to fire me."
"You're sure of that?"
"Our motorcycle insurance policy says riders have to be at least eighteen. Jack's not going to do something that would get his insurance cancelled. I don't blame him. I'm really going to miss riding that bike. I love it. "
"You want to go to the Academy this year, don't you?"
"I do, but my dad says no way. Since I'm not eighteen I doubt that's possible anyway, but if it were, I'd need his permission. I know he won't give it to me. He doesn't want me to be a Viper pilot even though he was one. He said we're going up against the Cylons in the near future and he doesn't want me to be any part of that. He's afraid for me."
"Earlier in the week I talked to Chuck…Colonel Charles Winters who is head of the Academy. He said you need to take the entrance exam in either April or May. He said if your scores are high enough he would see about admitting you this year. If that happens, I'll talk to John."
Kara brightened. "You would?"
"In fact since you won't have a job and will have some time on your hands, I'll see about getting you a tutor to help prepare you for the test. If you take the one at the end of May, we'll have nearly two months to get you up to speed."
"You can do that?"
"I'm the Secretary of Education. I have a great many resources available to me."
Kara was feeling the ambrosia. "When I met you in the camp I thought you were tough because you left the mess tent and walked all that way to meet Hugh Connelly in high heels. Now I think you're as nice as you are tough. I'm glad you and my dad are together."
"Why, thank you, Kara. That really touches me."
"I'd better go. I need to call Jack to make sure he's at home. The place I'm staying right now is in his same building so I'll just spend the night there. I'll pack my stuff and come back in the morning."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. Can I use your phone?"
"Certainly."
Kara got up and went back into the den. The sun was no longer on the terrace and Laura pulled her sweater closer around her. Having John and his daughter at her apartment was going to be such a big change for her. She saw her privacy and quiet life coming to an end. She couldn't imagine what it would be like when the baby arrived. There were so many changes occurring in her life in such a short time.
The door opened behind her. "Jack's home," Kara said. "His wife told me to come over. Where's the nearest subway station?"
"It's blocks and blocks, at least ten, maybe more. Call a transport. I'll pay for it. You don't want to walk that far."
Kara laughed. "I can pay for a transport. I don't guess people who live in this part of town need the subway. You all have chauffeurs."
Laura smiled. "Some of us need them. I never learned to drive."
"No kidding. Well, I'm off. I'll see you tomorrow."
Laura walked back into the den with her and called down to the desk. When the weekend doorman answered the phone, she said, "This is Laura Roslin. Call a transport, please. There's a young lady coming down from my apartment." She turned to Kara. "One should be here shortly."
"Thank you. Tell my dad…tell him I love him and I'll see him in the morning. And if he mentions it, tell him I'm going straight to Jack's. I'm not going over to Lee's place tonight. I promised both of them I'd…put this thing with me and Lee on hold until my dad gets well. I'm going to keep my promise even though Dad still thinks I'm an irresponsible kid."
Laura smiled. "And I know you're not. I am going to talk to him about that. I promise. When the time is right, I will talk to him."
...
Nancy Fisk opened the door to their apartment. "Come in, Carrie. Jack's watching an ironman triathlon on television. Someone he knew on the Pegasus is competing."
Kara followed Nancy into the living room.
"Come in," Jack said from his recliner. "This is almost over. One of my former shipmates is competing in it. He was our XO, Jurgen Belzen. He lost his wife and two daughters on Gemenon. Since then all he's done is train, train, and train some more for these triathlons."
Kara sat on the couch for fifteen minutes and watched the last leg of the swim, bike, and run event. When the runners began crossing the finish line, Fisk's friend Belzen was fourth. "Look at that," Jack said. "He's beating guys ten years younger than he is."
"He's obsessed," Nancy retorted. "The last time he was over here he had a crazy look in his eyes. It's not good when something consumes a person like that. I think it's his hatred of the Cylons that's driving him."
"What else has he got to do with his time? He retired after twenty-five years in the military. He's alone. The only other thing he does is work part-time for one of the mobile phone companies as a salesman. Better to work out and keep fit than drink all the time like a lot of our former shipmates are doing."
Nancy got up. "I still say he's obsessed. He needs some balance in his life. Won't you stay and eat with us, Carrie? We're having spaghetti for dinner."
"I can't. I need to check Tory's apartment. I've been out of town for over a week."
"A week...then you don't know. Tory's back from Kinsdale. She quit her job. She told me she didn't like being away from all her friends."
"No, I didn't know that. I'm moving out tomorrow anyway. That's one of the things I need to talk to Jack about."
"Let me know if you change your mind," Nancy said on her way out. "You're welcome to stay if you want."
"So what's going on? Where were you last week?" Jack asked her when they were alone.
"Sovana."
"What were you doing up there?"
Kara took a deep breath. "John Gallagher, the pilot who got shot in Sovana, is my father. I was with him at the hospital all week. We just got back today."
Jack looked puzzled. "I thought you told me that your parents died on Picon."
"I said my mother was a Marine and that she died on Picon. That's the truth. I don't think I ever mentioned my father. I thought he was dead, too, but as it turns out he isn't. That's part of my news, but I guess the biggest thing I have to tell you is that I'm not Carrie Warner. My name is Kara Thrace."
"What's going on? Why did you lie to me about your name?"
"Because Carrie Warner was old enough to get a job riding a bike for you. I knew you'd never even consider me for a job if you knew my real age."
"Which is?"
Kara steeled herself. "Sixteen."
"You're sixteen?"
"I'm sorry I lied to you, Jack. You were good to me and you trusted me. I was on my own and I needed a job and I used Carrie Warner's ID to get one."
"Damn. I'm going to have all kinds of legal problems with this. What's going to happen when the real Carrie Warner finds out you've been using her identity?"
"The real Carrie Warner is dead. She died from the flu in the refugee camp outside Antioch. I took her ID."
"How did you get one with your picture on it?"
"A friend who's good with that sort of thing."
"Start at the beginning," Jack said, "and tell me all of it. You owe me that much."
She did, beginning with the night her father got her off Picon until she left the refugee camp the previous year and came to Caprica City. She left out a lot, but she covered the important parts. She was getting good at telling her story.
When she finished, Jack rubbed his chin and looked at the ceiling for a while. "So where do we go from here?"
"You...fire me?" Kara ventured hesitantly. "Our insurance says I'm too young to ride a bike so you'll have to fire me."
"Do you want me to fire you?"
She took a deep breath and said meekly, "No."
"You deserve it."
"I know."
"Let me make a call tomorrow and see if I can work something out with the insurance company."
"You'd do that for me?"
"I'm doing it for me. You're my best rider. I don't want to lose my best rider."
"I guess I'd better go get my own driver's license."
"Carrie Warner is going to have to quit and I'm going to have to hire you…if I can work it out with the insurance company. I'll let you know something tomorrow. Are you staying at Tory's?"
"Just tonight. My dad and Laura Roslin are getting married. I'm moving in with them."
"Damn, your life has been full of drama lately, hasn't it?"
Kara shrugged. "I'm sorry I lied to you, Jack. You were good to me and I'm sorry."
"You've already told me that. Let me make that phone call tomorrow and I'll be in touch. I can't let you ride until I know something. Now are you sure you won't stay for dinner?"
"I'll go help Nancy."
Jack picked up the beer that had been sitting on the table beside his chair. "Sixteen," he said in an amused tone of voice. "Damn, I'd never have guessed. You act more mature than my eighteen-year-old."
"Maybe I could get you to talk to my dad. He treats me like I'm still thirteen."
Jack smiled. "Don't push your luck. I'm crazy for not firing you on the spot."
...
At eight o'clock that night Kara rode the elevator up to the twenty-second floor. Since she knew that Tory was back, she knocked on the door. She knocked several times and finally decided that Tory wasn't at home so she used her key and let herself in.
The stereo was on. Soft jazz music was playing…music like Dreilide Thrace used to play. There was a bottle of wine sitting on the coffee table and two glasses. Kara looked closer. She had seen a bottle of wine just like that before. A pair of men's shoes were on the floor by the couch. It took her only a few seconds to realize what was going on and what the sounds coming from Tory's bedroom meant.
Tory was entertaining Sam Anders.
Kara hurried to the guest bedroom and quietly shut the door. She hadn't seen or heard from Anders since she'd left him sleeping on his friend's couch at the after-game party when they'd lost the pyramid championship six weeks earlier. She didn't want to see him now…with or without Tory Foster.
Early the next morning while Tory and Sam were still asleep, she packed the book Laura had given her and most of her clothes in her duffel bag and the rest in a large garbage bag. She took the key to Tory's apartment off her key ring and left if on the kitchen table. Before eight o'clock she was at Laura's apartment. The doorman called upstairs. Laura was waiting for her at the door.
"I'm back," Kara said.
"That's all you've got?"
"Everything I own," Kara answered. "Pitiful, isn't it?"
Laura smiled. "Actually I was thinking how lucky you are. My housekeeper is making breakfast for John." Laura led her to the largest guest bedroom. It was twice the size of the bedroom she and Maggie had shared. "This will be yours. Now let me tell Jennet to cook enough for two."
"Is my dad awake, yet?"
"I'm going to check on him. We've got an appointment with a doctor this morning at 10:30 so he can take over John's care. Why don't you unpack? Breakfast will be ready shortly. You can eat with your dad."
"You're not going to eat?"
"I've already had some toast and fruit. The smell of coffee and bacon are too much for me, but John needs to eat so Jennet is cooking." Laura turned to leave. "Lee is coming over this afternoon when he finishes his Viper training flight. He called last night but John was asleep, so he doesn't know yet that he's going to have a visitor. I'll tell him later."
"I hope he was joking about kicking Lee's ass."
"I'm sure he was."
"Dad and I had a fight about Lee. He thinks I'm too young for us to see each other. They both think I'm just a kid. I'm not."
"I realize that much better than John does, and I understand you want him to see you as more mature. When he's recovered sufficiently, I'll talk to him."
"I promised Lee I'd let my dad get better. It's the right thing to do. For three years I thought he was dead. For three years I thought about what I'd give to have my dad back. And now I've got him back. It's the least I can do."
Laura smiled. "I'm going to make sure John realizes how lucky he is."
"I used to dream about finding him," Kara said softly. "I love him."
Laura was still smiling. "I think you've got more in common with him than those beautiful green eyes."
...
Lee rode the subway to the stop nearest Laura's apartment. He knew it was a long walk, at least ten blocks, but he welcomed the time to think, even as he put off the inevitable meeting with John.
He wondered if Kara was going to be there. He wondered what John was going to say. He wondered what he should say to John. Apologizing didn't seem exactly right. He'd done nothing wrong and, yet he felt like John was going to want him to say something.
When he got there, the doorman made his call and then told him to go up. Laura opened the door. "Come in, Lee. It's good to see you again."
"You look good. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine. It's such a beautiful day. John is out on the terrace."
"Did you tell him I was going to drop by?"
"I did. After we left the doctor's office."
"How did he…what did he say?"
"John's looking forward to seeing you. He barely remembers you being in Sovana. He said that whole day after he was shot is more like a dream to him now. He remembers almost nothing about it."
"Is Kara here?"
"She's out on the terrace with her father."
"How is she?"
"She's fine, Lee. Why don't you go out there?"
Lee took a deep breath. "He knows about me and Kara."
"I know."
"What did he say?"
"We haven't talked about it. They have. Would you like a drink? I can offer you tea or water or something stronger."
"Maybe later."
"Just go out there, Lee. Your imagination is probably a lot worse than anything John is going to say."
Lee turned and crossed the den and opened the terrace door. Kara turned around and smiled.
"Hi, Lee." She got up. "I'm sure Laura needs me for something."
She walked past Lee, the smile still on her face, and raised her eyebrows at him as she shut the terrace door.
Lee took the seat beside John that she had vacated and noticed the drink sitting on the small wrought iron table between them. "How are you, John?"
"I'd be better if I had all the feeling back in my right arm."
"What did the doctor say?"
"What do doctors always say? It's too early to tell. He thinks I'm expecting too much too soon. He said nerve damage is hard to predict. In Sovana the doctor told me it was just swollen tissue pressing on a nerve. Now this doctor thinks it's nerve damage. He gave me some exercises to do. If it hasn't gotten better in four or five weeks he'll order some more tests. Hell, I'd planned to be back in the cockpit in four or five weeks. That's not going to happen with my arm like this. I'll never pass a flight physical."
"Why don't you just enjoy spending some down time with Laura and Kara?"
As usual when he didn't want to talk about something, John ignored Lee's question and picked up his drink. "Siren's Kiss. Want some? I mixed it this morning after I got back from the doctor."
"Maybe later. Have you remembered any more about the shooting?"
"No. I'm sure you know more about it than I do. What can you tell me?"
"This is top secret right now. The shooter was Aaron Doral. He's a Cylon."
"Why does that not surprise me?"
"You know him?"
"He used to follow me and Laura around. I made it a point to find out who he was. I know he works for Cavil. So the sneaky little son of a bitch is a Cylon."
"The one who works for Cavil is still working for Cavil. Another copy of him is the one who tried to kill Laura and shot you instead. The Marines killed him."
"Who knows about this?"
"Agent Darren, Major Parker, my dad, me and I think he told Laura."
"I asked her to marry me. She surprised me and said yes."
"So when's the wedding?"
"I'm leaving that up to her. She's asked Kara to be her maid of honor, and Kara will kill me if I don't ask you to stand up with me as best man."
"You'd rather ask someone else?"
"No, Lee. I wouldn't rather ask someone else. When I marry Laura there's only one man I want standing beside me. I'm just dealing with a couple of things right now. I guess you could say I've got a lot on my mind."
"John, I swear to you I didn't know."
"I know you didn't. But it's going to stop. She's sixteen, Lee."
"I know. She and I have already talked about it and agreed. I just want you to know that I care about her. I really care about her…I…"
"Drop it, Lee. I'm not in the mood to talk about it right now. Later…maybe.
They sat in silence for a long time. Lee could tell John was really down. Finally John said, "Could I get you to go pour me another drink? The flask is sitting on the cabinet beside the fireplace."
"Is that a good idea with the pain medication?"
"I haven't taken any pain medication today. Siren's Kiss does a better job."
"How many does this make?"
"This will be my third. And if you're going to make such a big frakking deal about it, I'll get it myself."
"No, John, keep your seat. I'll get it for you."
Lee took the empty tumbler from the table and went inside. Laura was sitting in an armchair with some paperwork on her lap. Kara was looking at a soccer game on television with the sound turned low. Both looked up as Lee came into the room.
"He wants another drink."
Laura took a deep breath. "Go ahead. But that's it for today. I'm not going to let him start down that path every day."
"He's upset about his arm."
"We know that," Kara said. "Boy, do we know that." She got up, poured the glass half full of Siren's kiss and went to the door of the terrace. "Let me do this. That way he can get angry at me instead of you."
Lee followed her to the door and saw her hand the drink to her father.
"This is it today," she told him. "I'm not going to watch my father turn into a drunk."
He grabbed her hand and held it for a moment. "I love you, baby...Kara."
She squatted down by the chair and look at her father. "I love you, too, Dad. That's why you'll have to get past me to get another drink tonight." She grinned. "And you can call me baby if you want to. I kind of like it." She stood up. "Now entertain your friend."
Kara passed Lee again with the smile and raised eyebrows. He went back onto the terrace and sat down in the chair beside John.
John smiled for the first time since Lee had been there. "Life won't be easy with her. Are you sure you don't want to rethink it?"
"Does that mean..."
"It means you can take her out to eat. You can take her to the movies or to dinner. But if I find out you've taken her back to your apartment, I will kick your ass. That's a promise."
"I give you my word, John."
"I knew you would. That's one of the reasons you're my best friend. That's one of the reasons I trust you the way I do. The only man I know who has as much honor and integrity as you do is your father. Now sometime during the next couple of weeks, do you think you can remember to get your dress uniform from the cleaners?"
"I picked it up last week."
"Damn," John started laughing. "I hate being a foregone conclusion."
...
Lee refused Laura's dinner invitation. He was on his way to his parent's house. Kara walked with him to the door. "Come back. You know my father enjoys your company."
"You know I will," Lee smiled. "I hope he's not the only one who enjoys my company."
She leaned over and kissed him quickly. "That answer your question?"
During their dinner Kara told her father that she had talked to Jack again late that afternoon. "He's waiting for some guy at the insurance company to get back to him. He said it may take a few days. I might get to keep my job."
"I thought we'd agreed you were going to quit."
"I never agreed to quit. I said Jack was going to fire me. He didn't. It still might not work out, but it might."
"How are you going to work that in with going back to school?"
"Laura's going to get me a tutor."
She saw her father look at Laura. "When did this happen?"
Laura said, "Kara and I discussed it briefly yesterday. There are several options concerning her education. In my opinion home schooling with a tutor is the best one. She'll learn more in a shorter period of time and she won't have to repeat what she already knows."
Kara grinned. "Plus you'll get to watch me all the time. I won't get to sneak out to the parking lot at lunch and make out with some guy like if I went to high school. Speaking of which, I'm meeting Karl at Zeno's tonight. I won't stay long, but I haven't seen him in a couple of weeks. And just so you won't freak out," she pulled Carrie Warner's ID out of her pocket and put it beside his plate. "You can hang onto this. I've got to get my own driver's license anyway. All I need to do is go to Central Registry and get a copy of my birth certificate."
"I'll handle that," John said. "It'll give me something to do. I need to see the private detective, too, and tell him to quit looking for Kara."
"I need my own mobile phone," Kara said. "I need to give this one back to somebody."
"Okay, tomorrow we go get you a phone. Call your...contact and arrange to meet him wherever you usually meet him. I'll go with you and the three of us will talk."
"Am I not invited?" Laura asked.
Kara could tell Laura's feelings were hurt just by the way she asked the question. "You'd better tell her."
"Kara's in the resistance, too. I know…like father like daughter. She wants out and I'm going to get her out. We've got to meet her contact to do it. I would never take a chance on having you seen with him and us. You never can tell when that little weasel Doral might be following you."
"Doral," Laura exclaimed. "Doral has followed me?"
"I saw him on several occasions when I was with you. Someone should tell him if he's going to tail someone not to wear a neon blue windbreaker. While Kara and I go to meet her contact, you will stay safely put right here."
"I've got to go into the office for a short while tomorrow afternoon. I've got several interviews scheduled. I'm looking for a replacement for my secretary who is retiring. I also need to go see the priest I would like to marry us. If I can pull this together in three weeks, do you think you'll be well enough?"
John smiled. "We'll do it tomorrow at city hall if you want to."
"Okay, you guys," Kara said. "I'll help with the dishes, and then I'm out of here. Don't wait up for me."
Her father looked at her. "Be back here by midnight."
Kara winked. "Like you'll know. But I'll be back by then...probably before then. Karl has to be at work at 5:00. He goes to bed early."
"Let me give you a key," Laura said and got up. "I have an extra one in the bedroom."
"You two want some help with the dishes?" Her father asked.
"Absolutely not. Go relax in the den. Kara and I will take care of these and then she can be on her way."
After Kara was gone, Laura went into the den. She saw that John had turned on the gas logs and turned down the lights. He was sitting on the sofa, his head back on the cushions. She thought that he had gone to sleep, but when he heard her, he patted the cushion on his left side.
She sat down beside him and he put his arm around her. They sat like that for a long time in contented silence. She had no idea where his thoughts were, but she was trying to organize hers into a plan for the next three weeks. The wedding would be simple and private, just her and John, Kara and Lee. It would take place at the small temple, and Elosha would officiate.
But the reception was another matter. Due to her position as Secretary of Education, she would be expected to have a nice reception and invite a number of people beginning with the President and his wife and the other Cabinet members and their spouses or significant others not to mention the Quorum of Twelve. Of course she would invite her staff…and friends like Bill and Carolanne. John would have friends he would want to invite, and Kara and Lee would probably want to invite a few of their young friends. She would have to find a place large enough to hold everyone. She needed to get the invitations out in the next week.
Her first wedding had been small, just a handful of their friends in the small chapel on campus with a dinner following at the University Club. She had worn a tea-length dress of cream-colored silk organza. The tears that Hayden had taken as tears of joy at their nuptials had actually been tears of sadness because her father had not been there to walk her down the aisle. He had died two years before on Tauron. She had missed him so much that day, so very much.
"Where are you?" John said softly.
"Trying to plan the impossible before my condition is obvious. You may have to walk down the aisle with a bride whose pregnancy is obvious."
"That doesn't matter a bit to me." He slowly got his right hand across him and put it on her still-flat abdomen. "A baby is a miracle and you'll be beautiful no matter what."
She smiled and turned her face to him. Their kiss was inevitable. She was surprised at how fast it deepened, at how quickly it became evident where they were headed.
"John, are you sure you're up for this?"
He took her hand, put it on the outside of his sweatpants and grinned. "Poor choice of words, Laura."
"Sometimes you amaze me," she whispered before she put her leg across him and slid over his lap.
"It's been a couple of weeks. I don't think I'm going to last long enough for this to hurt me."
She kissed him slowly the way he liked to kiss her. "Why don't you let me worry about that?"
...
"You're in a better mood today," Kara said as she and her father waited for a transport the next morning. "You and Laura must have celebrated after I left last night."
Her father grinned. "That's enough of the smart mouth."
"I already figured you two have a hot thing going on. It took you what...all of a couple of weeks to knock her up?"
He started laughing. "Kara, that's just none of your business."
The transport delivered them to a nice office building in a rebuilt part of the city. They went in and rode the elevator up to the ninth floor. Kara walked with him down a hall until they came to a door that said Romo Lampkin, Private Investigations.
"Three years ago he was a lawyer practicing on Gemenon. He was here at a conference when the Cylons attacked. His wife and two daughters died on Gemenon. He's never gone back to the law."
They went inside. Kara saw several small furry toys on the floor. "What are those?"
"He keeps a cat with him so don't be surprised if it appears all of a sudden. It was a present he was taking back to his wife."
"Is Romo here?" John asked the secretary.
"He's with a client. Have a seat, Captain Gallagher. I'll let him know you're here. How are you?"
"Hanging in there. How's your daughter's softball team doing?"
She smiled. "Winning more than they lose."
In less than ten minutes Romo Lampkin walked out of his office with a well-dressed older woman. "I'll have the information you need in a few days." They waited while Lampkin walked the woman to the door.
He turned and stared at Kara for a moment before saying to her father. "I know why you're here. You found her before I did."
"She found me. I'm here to tell you to call off the search and to send me the bill for your time."
A gray and white cat walked out of Lampkin's office and rubbed around his legs. "My wife's cat Lance. I can't stand the bloody creature but he loves me."
John said, "Mr. Lampkin went to law school here on Caprica. He's a great admirer of Lee's grandfather, Joseph Adama. It turns out Kara knows Lee, too. It's...interesting how life sometimes connects us."
"Joe Adama taught me everything I know about people. He had a great...yearning to understand what makes us do the things we do. He was the most fascinating man I've ever known."
Her father struggled but he managed to hold out his right hand. "Thank you for all your efforts, Mr. Lampkin."
"I would have found her eventually."
"I know you would have."
Kara and her father rode the elevator down to the ground floor. Kara started to get a transport but her father stopped her. "We need to walk east a couple of blocks. There's a place near here I want you to go with me." They walked to a jewelry store, a very discreetly-situated and pricey-looking jewelry store.
"Laura told me to get her a plain wedding band, but I want to do something different. I need your help with picking out the ring. She gave me her size."
They went inside and walked toward the back. Even the air in the store smelled expensive. A somber man in a dark suit and tie asked if he could help them.
"We need to look at wedding rings," John said.
"I see. What does the young lady have in mind?"
"It's not for me," Kara said. "My dad is the one getting married. It's for his...bride-to-be."
"Something simple," John said, "with diamonds on it."
The man actually managed a small smile. "Come with me."
Kara saw the ring before her father did. "That's it. That has Laura Roslin written all over it."
"Laura Roslin?" The man asked in a hushed tone. "You're marrying the Secretary of Education?"
"He saved her life, too," Kara said proudly.
"That's enough," her father said to her. "Let's look at the ring Kara likes."
The man took it out of the display case and put it on a small square of black velvet. It was a circle of princess cut diamonds set in platinum. Kara thought it was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.
"You understand we can't size this ring. We'll have to order one made for her. That will take about six to eight weeks possibly longer."
"What size is that ring?"
The man took out a slender cone and slid the ring down over it and held it up to John.
John grinned. "This is my lucky day. It looks like you've just sold us a ring."
"You need to try on rings, too, Dad."
"So you can come back here with Laura?"
"Of course."
When they left the jewelry store with the ring, Kara knew exactly what to tell Laura when they returned. Her father had chosen a plain, platinum band and the salesman had put it back for them.
"Not a word about this to her," he said. "And remind that salesman to keep his mouth shut, too. I want to surprise her."
Before they went to get her mobile phone, they took a transport to the center city and went to a small coffee shop so her father could sit down. She could tell the morning had taken a lot out of him. Still after coffee and pastries, he insisted that they go get her a phone. He added it to his plan.
When they got back to the apartment, Laura was gone and John asked Kara to keep the ring in her bedroom until the wedding. He lay down on the couch and was soon asleep.
Before she went out on the terrace to read, she took out her new phone. Her father's mobile number was the first one she programmed into it. Lee's was the second.
...
"Come in, please, Ms. Foster," Laura said to the young woman who stood in the doorway to her office.
"Thank you for agreeing to interview me," Tory said.
"I've looked over your resumé. Your credentials are quite impressive."
"Thank you."
"Now explain to me, please, why you want to leave your current job?"
Tory took a deep breath. "I made a big mistake and got involved with a senior partner at the law firm. It didn't work out so we mutually agreed I should leave."
"You're very honest."
Tory managed a tight smile. "I thought you probably already knew."
Laura smiled back. "I did. I wanted to see if you would lie to me. So now that we understand each other, are you really interested in a job as my secretary or administrative assistant. You're overqualified for the job."
"I'm very interested. I'm a hard worker, Ms. Roslin. My performance on the job was not the problem."
"My secretary, Adele, is extremely efficient and professional. I would expect the same from anyone who works for me."
"I understand."
"Adele is leaving in two weeks. I'm trying to plan my wedding which will be very small and private and also a reception which will be large. I'm trying to pull everything together in three weeks. I would like to offer you a position at my own expense as a personal assistant for the next two weeks. If you do a good job, I will hire you as Adele's replacement."
"A very good friend of mind works for the best caterer in town. One of my duties was planning events for the law firm. I have a lot of contacts. If you will tell me exactly what you want, I can help you pull it off in three weeks."
"I feel like the gods have just smiled on me," Laura said. "I'm going to give you my home address. Be there tomorrow morning at eight o'clock. I'll have some tentative plans for you in writing. We have a lot of work to do. The invitations must go out early next week."
"I'll see you at eight," Tory said.
That night after dinner Laura sat in the den with John and Kara. She had a yellow legal pad. "A young woman named Tory Foster will be here tomorrow morning to help me make plans for the reception. I need to get a guest list started."
"Tory Foster? Wow. Talk about a small world."
"What?" Her father asked.
"That's whose apartment I was staying at. She's been in Kinsdale."
"She's back," Laura said, "and I've hired her as my personal assistant for a few weeks so she will be around. Now, I need the names of people you want to invite to the reception. Kara?"
"Since I already know Lee's going to be there, I'd like to ask Karl. He's been my best friend since I was eight. And he's dating a girl named Sharon right now."
"What's his last name?"
"Agathon."
Laura wrote his name. "We'll send the invitation to Karl Agathon and guest."
"Who else?"
"My boss, Jack Fisk and his wife. He's still my boss today, anyway. That might change tomorrow when he hears from the insurance company. Whatever happens, I'd still like to invite him. He's been good to me."
"Okay. Who else?"
"I...I guess that's it."
"Well, think about it. If you can think of anyone else, let me know. John?"
"I'll sit down tomorrow and make a list. A lot of my...friends are in a certain...group. I can't invite them. They'll understand why. My list won't be too long. I guess you've already got Bill and Carolanne on your list."
"Zak," Kara said. "We should invite Zak."
"Do you know Zak Adama, too?" John asked.
"I met him at Zeno's. Then I saw him again when I went to the pyramid championship game."
"What about the other two people you were rooming with?"
Kara shrugged. "Maybe I'll ask Maggie, but not Jared."
"Was he the reason you moved out?"
"We were kind of like boyfriend and girlfriend for a while. He wanted it to be more than it was. After I met Lee...Jared didn't take it too well. It was just time for me to move out on my own."
"What did he do?"
"Nothing. He didn't do anything. It just wasn't fair to him for me to stay there after I'd met Lee. I needed some space, that's all, and if you stay on my case like this, I'm going to want some space again. I'm going to my room. Goodnight, Laura."
"John," Laura said softly when Kara was out of the room. The reproach was clear in her voice.
"I know. I keep screwing up with my daughter. I'll be back."
He left the room. Five minutes later he was back. "I just told her that I love her. She said something to me that I'm going to have to remember. She told me that before I freak out I should try to put myself in her place and imagine what I would have done. She's right. I want to protect her and I'm going about it all wrong. I'm getting upset about things that have already happened, things I can't change. You warned be about doing this."
Laura got up and went to sit beside him. He put his arm around her again. "John, aren't you thinking about what you were like when you were the age of most of the young men in her life?"
"That's exactly what I'm thinking about."
"She's handled herself amazingly well for what she's been through. You're lucky, John. Don't come down too hard on her and drive her away. She told me Sunday afternoon how much she loves you."
He pulled her to him. "How did I get this lucky...to have her back in my life and you, too?"
"If you'll come with me to the bedroom, I'll try to explain it to you."
He kissed her. "What's wrong with explaining it to me right here?"
"I might be explaining it to your daughter as well. We don't have the apartment to ourselves tonight."
"You mean this explanation is going to be a hands-on demonstration?"
She kissed him and whispered, "What do you think?"
...
Kara lay across the bed. She knew her dad loved her, but she was having a difficult time suddenly having to answer to him for everything in her life. Her new phone had finished charging. She picked it up and called Lee.
"Is this your new mobile number?" He asked.
"Yeah. Where are you?"
"At my apartment thinking about you. How are things going?"
"I'm trying to get used to my dad telling me how to breathe."
"It's not that bad, is it?"
"Almost. Laura and I are going to look for dresses tomorrow afternoon."
"I'm looking forward to seeing you in a dress."
"I haven't worn a dress since I was seven. I was in a play at school and a boy laughed at me because I was scared and forgot my lines. I punched his lights out...right there on stage." Kara snickered. "I broke his nose. I was the youngest girl to ever get expelled from school. My mom beat my butt, the only time she ever did that. She and my other father, her husband, got into a fight over it and she kicked his butt, too. I've never worn a dress since then."
"Never?" Lee asked incredulously.
"Never. So you see how much my dad and Laura mean to me for me to put on a dress again?"
"Isn't there anybody else you'd wear a dress for?"
"There is one other guy, but I guess I'm going to have to forget about him because he and my dad have ganged up on me, and he won't see me anymore. I thought I meant something to him, but I guess not."
"That's not fair and you know it."
"Exactly. It's not fair. There's nothing about it that's fair."
"You're sixteen," Lee said, the anguish clear in his voice. "And John is my best friend. Do you think I want to be caught between the two of you? Do you think this is what I want?"
"What do you want, Lee?"
"I want to see you. Your dad said I could take you to dinner or a movie so will you go to dinner with me Saturday night?"
Kara smiled. "Only if I don't have to wear a dress."
...
"We're not going to mention the word wedding," Laura told Kara as they entered an exclusive designer store. "I want a nice formal dress in a cream or champagne color for a reception. You're looking for a formal dress for a dance. Both of those statements are true."
Kara understood. The salesladies in the store knew Laura. Any mention of wedding and it would be on the internet within an hour and in all the gossip columns the next day.
"We're both going with something off-the-rack. That means we can walk out of the store with it today or it can be altered to fit. We're not going with something that has to be ordered. That would take far longer than three weeks."
They found Kara's dress first. It was made of georgette with a shirred bodice, empire waist, full skirt and double spaghetti straps. It came with a three-quarter sleeve bolero jacket. The saleslady called the color claret. Kara was amazed at what it did for her eyes and hair.
Finding Laura's dress took longer since she was careful to avoid anything that looked either too youthful or too mature. She finally settled on a champagne-colored dress similar in design to Kara's but made of silk charmeuse overlaid with beaded silk organza. Kara didn't think she had ever seen a dress that beautiful in her life. It also had a sheer beaded jacket.
When the saleslady inquired about the occasion, Laura smiled and told her it was for an important reception. Apparently Laura went to important receptions all the time. The saleswoman didn't bat an eyelash. Laura's dress was perfect, but Kara's needed hemming. Laura charged both dresses to one of her credit cards and told the woman she would pick Kara's up the following week.
"Are you going to wear a veil?" Kara asked Laura after they left the store.
"No."
"You need something in your hair," Kara said.
"Such as?"
"Flowers or something. All brides need something in their hair if they don't wear a veil. It's tradition."
"I'll ask my hairdresser for suggestions. I think I should take you with me."
"For suggestions or because I need a haircut?"
Laura smiled. "Both."
...
Two nights later Kara and her father entered Zeno's together and went to the bar. They had talked beforehand and Kara knew their plan was for her to wait for Frogman in their booth. Then her father would join them.
"Order me a beer. I always have a beer," Kara said.
Reluctantly John did so. Kara took it and went to a booth near the back. She had to wait ten minutes before Frogman came in. He ordered a beer as usual.
"Sassy. You have a message for me?"
"The message is from someone else."
Her father's timing was perfect. He slid onto the seat beside her.
Frogman tensed. "What is this?"
"Relax," Kara said. "He's one of us."
"So what's the message?" Frogman asked cautiously.
"Just this," John said. "My daughter is going to have to resign from the exclusive club we're all members of."
Frogman looked carefully at Kara and then her father. "She found you."
"You know who he is, don't you?" Kara asked Frogman. "You know what happened to him two weeks ago in Sovana."
Frogman nodded. "It's not often I get to drink a beer with a real honest-to-gods hero. Your daughter's one, too, but that will never make the news with her name attached."
Kara saw her father smile. "I'm breaking all kinds of protocol here, but I just want to make it clear that she's no longer a part of the group. And she's not nineteen, she's sixteen."
Kara put the cell phone and charger that Frogman had given her on the table. "I don't regret a minute of it," she said, "especially not what we did a few months ago, especially since I found out my dad was on that mission, too."
He father was still smiling. He took a sip of beer. "You know me by another name," he said to Frogman. "You know me as Posiden."
Frogman said. "I heard you'd gotten out."
"I have. My daughter is now out, too. You understand. None of this can touch the lady I'm getting ready to marry."
"Would the lady be the same one who stood up to that son of a bitch Cavil out at the University?"
"She would."
Frogman said, "There won't be any problems. You have my word on that. Meeting you tonight has been an honor."
Later as they stood outside of Zeno's waiting on a transport, her father put his arm around her. "Now you can go to dinner with Lee on Saturday night. And bring him back to our apartment afterward."
"How did you know Lee asked me to go to dinner on Saturday night?"
"Because I told him it was okay."
Kara smiled. "I love you, Dad."
"I love you, too, Kara."
"What happened to baby?"
"My baby grew up."
"You'll have another one soon. You'll get to watch him grow up."
"Her grow up."
"Karmic justice," Kara said smugly.
As the transport pulled up, he said, "A boy…that would be karmic justice wouldn't it?"
"Yeah, because he'll be just like you."
John opened the transport door. "The gods forbid."
...
John and Lee sat in their favorite booth at McGee's on the night before the wedding. Rick McGee had stopped by to chat for a few minutes and had agreed to join them for a beer.
Lee said, "I realize this isn't much of a bachelor party, but you said you didn't want one."
"I don't," John said. "The next bachelor party I want to attend is yours…four or five years from now."
"Come on, John," McGee said. "Give us a little speech. Tell an old married man...and a single guy...how you escaped for as long as you did."
"I was unlucky," John said and grinned. He raised his glass. "Here's to a welcome change of luck...even if she did kick me out of the apartment this morning."
"That's just tradition," Lee said. "The bride and groom don't spend the night before the wedding together and they don't see each other the day of the wedding...until they come to the temple."
"Here's to friends," John raised his glass again, "who will give the groom a couch to sleep on the night before the wedding. I'm lucky I have such a friend."
Later back at Lee's apartment, he said to John, "I'm sorry my dad didn't make it tonight."
"So am I. But I'm not surprised. He still cares about her. She still cares about him, too."
"John…we've talked about this before. I don't share your opinion."
"I'm okay with it. Laura is going to marry me. She's having our baby. I'm going to be with her."
"She loves you, John. If she didn't, she wouldn't have stayed in Sovana with you and violated a direct Presidential order to return to Caprica City. She wouldn't have sat by your bed all night like she did."
"That was guilt because Doral shot me instead of her."
"What would it take to convince you that she loves you?"
John shrugged. "I just know that I love her, she's marrying me tomorrow and that's all that matters to me right now."
"Take the bed tonight. I'm going to sleep on the couch."
"No way."
"Take the damned bed, John. I wasn't in a hospital in Sovana four weeks ago fighting for my life. I'm fine on the couch."
"Are you angry at me?"
"I'm angry because you're so damned stubborn. I'm angry because sometime you make it so damned hard for people to love you."
John smiled. "Nobody's perfect."
Lee rolled his eyes. "Go to bed, John. And try accepting your blessings for once instead of thinking you don't deserve them."
...
Two o'clock in the morning and Laura lay awake. Several times earlier she had almost called John's mobile phone. She wanted to hear his voice, but she knew he and Lee were going to McGee's tonight. She missed him. She missed having him in the bed with her. She missed being able to reach over and touch him. Three weeks and she was already used to being able to snuggle against him even as he slept.
During the last three weeks she had watched him work hard at building a relationship with a daughter who was no longer the child he had left at an airport three years earlier. He so much wanted to be a part of her life, and Laura knew that while Kara was overjoyed at finding him again, she had struggled too, rebelling against being told what to do when she had been on her own for three years…and then feeling guilty for pushing John away.
They were still trying, though, both still working at it, stubbornly determined to find the balance that worked for both of them. One thing Laura could clearly see was the love between them, and as long as they had that love, they would make it work.
She could see the love in John's eyes, too, when he looked at her. There were times that she wondered if she deserved a love like that, she wondered if she could ever love him that much in return…and yet, she did love him. How could she want him with her, beside her in bed like this if she didn't love him?
She placed her hand over her still flat belly and began finally to relax into drowsiness. Through John, the gods had given her something she thought she would never have, a child, a miracle. Tomorrow…no today…she would marry her child's father. She would accept the destiny that the Fates had in store for her and she would count her blessings…a baby, and a good man who loved her, and a new daughter who slept soundly in a room down the hall, a daughter who would stand beside her as she married John Gallagher, a daughter who would love and protect this child she now carried. The Fates had been kind to her and she had to be grateful for that.
...
Kara got up in the pearly gray light just before dawn on her father's wedding day. She was used to getting up early. She had gotten up early for the last three days because she was riding the bike again. Jack had managed to get a clause inserted into his insurance contract that allowed her to keep riding for him. Her father had told her Jack was probably paying a lot more for the premiums now.
Carrie Warner had quit. Kara Thrace had been hired. She had a new Caprica driver's license obtained with a birth certificate that looked exactly like the one her mother kept in a drawer on Picon…except for one small detail. This birth certificate listed her father as John Gallagher.
She went into Laura's kitchen and made a cup of instant coffee that she took out on the terrace. She could hardly believe it had been nearly a year since she had come to Caprica City with a heart full of uncertainty and dreams about a blue-eyed prince. She had found her prince and she knew their fates were bound together.
Laura had found a tutor for her, a gnome-like little woman who worked with Kara on all her days off. The tutor was tough and Kara struggled, but she wouldn't give up. Karl had told her the things she needed to concentrate on. She studied every night until midnight. In two weeks she would take the Academy entrance exam. Lee had taken her to dinner twice, once just the two of them and once with her father and Laura. Lee had not been upset about her choosing to study instead of choosing to spend time with him. He understood. He had not tried to kiss her again, either, and she understood that, too.
She thought about how Lee was going to look at her when he saw her tonight in the dress, the beautiful claret-colored dress, with her hair fixed and wearing make-up. She smiled. Tonight she was going to get kissed.